Sounding-board for pianos.



F. B. LONG.

$OUNDIITG BDARD FOR PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1909.

936,789. Patented 001;. 12, 1909.

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PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK B. LONG, 013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SOUNDING-BOARD FOR PIANOS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1909.

Application filed May 21, 1909. Serial No. 497,445.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. Lone, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Sounding-Board for Pianos, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved sounding board for pianos, provided with manually adjustable devices for maintaining the original crown of the sounding board and for increasing the singing quality and the volume of the tone.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a face view of the improvement Fig. 2 is an enlarged face view of one corner of the sounding board, parts being in section; and Fig. 3 is a cross section of the same on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the frame A of a piano is set a sounding board B having roundedofi corners B,B B and B, engaged edgewise by correspondingly shaped blocks O, C, C C preferably made of a number of layers of veneer, as indicated in the drawings. The blocks 0, G and G are engaged by pressure devices, preferably in the form of screw rods D, screwing in nuts E, set in the frame A at the corners thereof, as plainly indicated in the drawings, the inner ends D of the screw rods D being stepped or seated in offsets F, formed on the blocks C, C, C at the middle thereof. Each of the screw rods D is also provided with a collar D to permit of conveniently turning the screw rod D by hand or by the use of a tool, so as to exertmore or less pressure on the blocks G, C, C by screwing the screw rods D in or out of the nuts E. By the arrangement described the pressure devices engage the rounded ofi' corners of the sounding board edgewise and firmly hold the sounding board as originally crowned with a view to increase the singing quality and the volume of the tone. The block G is without a manually adjustable pressure device, and is snugly fitted against the inner faces of the bars of the frame A, it being understood that the rounded off corner B and the block C are necessarily very short, owing to their location in the upper treble of the piano.

The bars of the frame A are fastened together in the usual manner, the bolts G engaging the adjacent ends of the bars in the rear of the nuts E, as indicated in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I

Patent:

1. In combination, a frame, a sounding board set therein and having rounded oif corners, and manually adjustable pressure devices engaging the said frame and the edges of the board at said corners.

2. In a piano, the combination of a frame, a sounding board set in the said frame and having rounded off corners, blocks engaging the sounding board edgewise at the said corners, and pressure devices interposed between the blocks and the frame.

3. In a piano, the combination of a frame, a sounding board set in the said frame, a block engaging the sounding board edgewise, a screw rod stepped at one end on the said block, and a nut held on the frame and in which screws the said screw rod.

4L. In a piano, the combination of a frame, a sounding board set in the said frame, a block engaging the sounding board edgewise, a nut set in the corner of the frame, and a screw rod screwing in the said nut and bearing on the said block.

5. In a piano, the combination of a frame, a sounding board set in the said frame, a block engaging the sounding board edgewise, a nut set in the corner of the frame, and a screw rod screwing in the said nut and bearing on the said block, the said screw rod having means for turning it.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses:

FRANK B. LONG.

Vitnesses Tnno. G. Hosanna,

PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 

